PRETORIA - The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union welcomed the suspension of Home Affairs Director General Mkhuseli Apleni.
He was placed on precautionary suspension by Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize on Monday.
Nehawu says Apleni’s suspension is long overdue.
The union is accusing him of ruling the department with an iron fist and victimising workers.
“His suspension will give workers a much needed sigh of relief after they had to endure his unabated reign of terror,” Nehawu said in a statement.
“Nehawu as a union organising in the Department of Home Affairs has had numerous run-ins with Apleni and we have consistently pointed out to the public how bad he was for the Department.
“The suspended DG, Apleni lost millions in tax payers’ money on legal fees while trying to avoid paying workers for Saturday work.
“Organised labour and Apleni had a protracted legal battle which Apleni lost.
“He elected to remain intransigent when he had to pay workers for Saturday and tried to give midday day offs as a mechanism to lure workers to work on weekends. The money spent on legal fees should have been spent on paying workers, providing transport and child care facilities.”
The union says it hopes Apleni’s suspension will be indefinite.
In June, Apleni was left to explain the Guptas' naturalisation to Parliament.
On Monday evening, Apleni’s lawyer Sandile July said his client’s suspension has nothing to do with the controversial Gupta family.
“What is contained in the letter is specific issues that are those specific but broad issues but it has nothing to do with the Gupta’s,” July said.
“All these letters have to do with the minister verbally instructing him to do 1,2,3 and he has failed to do that and then where’s the suspension. Because you suspend in order to investigate what you don’t know, you still want to find out.
But in this case why suspend to investigate when the information is within her knowledge.”
Culled from eNCA.
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